Tales of Monkey Island

Telltale Games and Lucas Arts have announced that they are currently developing not one, but two games based on the classic Monkey Island series. The first game, Tales of Monkey Island will begin in just a few short weeks, with Telltale to bring gamers a "completely new epic storyline" over five monthly episodes to be released on the PC and WiiWare.

Meanwhile, it has also announced that Lucas Arts will be re-imagining the first game of the Monkey Island series in The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition, which will be released on the PC and the Xbox LIVE Arcade.

Telltale have a long history with the Monkey Island series of games, with the company having risen from the ashes of Lucas Arts at around the same time the adventure game "died". Since then, the company has been working on reinvigorating the adventure genre, and plans to continue doing so with Tales of Monkey Island.

Tales of Monkey Island, in development at Telltale Games promises to bring the adventures of pirate Guybrush Threepwood into a new era, with "an explosive storyline" that grows "deeper and more entangled" throughout the five episodes of the game. In a deadlock with his nemesis, LeChuck, Guybrush "accidentally" releases a voodoo pox that could change the local pirate population in "unruly pirate monsters".

The game promises humour, romance, and "swashbuckling action" in typical Monkey Island style. The saga will begin "in the coming weeks", with the first episode to be released on the PC and WiiWare.

Dan Connors, CEO of Telltale noted that:

The Monkey Island series set the standard for storytelling and character development in games. The next several months should be filled with all kinds of surprises as we continue the dramatic stories of Guybrush, Elaine and LeChuck. We are happy to be working with LucasArts to make this happen.

The best part of this news is that designers, artists, and other employees at Telltale worked on the original Monkey Island titles, meaning that there is potentially no studio better suited to a rebirth of the franchise.


More screenshots from The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition are available on the mirror.
Thats the big news for those who were fans of the franchise in its glory day. Now there's some good news for those who don't understand what all the fuss is about, and that is The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition to be developed inhouse at Lucas Arts, the company who created the franchise.

The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition is a "faithful" re-imagination of the first game (which was released in 1990), seeking to captivate the original (and new) audiences once more. The game will get HD graphics, a re-mastered musical score, full voice-acting, and an in depth hint system to help players work through the more difficult (but still hilarious) puzzles.

Download The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition E3 2009 Trailer

In good news for those fond of the original title, gamers will be able to switch between the new, HD graphics, and the visual look and feel of the original game, as they follow Guybrush Threepwood on a hilarious quest through the fabled lands of Monkey Island.

Arriving at the port of Mêlée with nothing but high hopes, and a desire to become a pirate, the player must guide Guybrush through a series of events, where he must earn the confidence of established pirates. It is there that he discovers the existence of Monkey Island, a place that by name alone sends chills down the backs of "even the most bloodthirsty buccaneers".

The good news doesn't end there. Lucas Arts have also announced that they will be revisiting their "portfolio of beloved gaming franchises" in the future, with more announcements to come. In even better news, we've got NINE trailers from The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition. Go forth and watch.